The Reader and the Writer

Over near the bar, THE WRITER stands alone, watching the people. He wears brown leather Topsiders with no socks, tan chinos and a Polo shirt under a navy blazer with brass buttons. His brow is furrowed behind dark glasses. He’s just discovered there’s no booze at this party. THE READER approaches. She nods politely in greeting to the WRITER. She doesn’t know he’s a…

Bacon on a Doughnut

There’s a bakery around the corner where I often get doughnuts and sandwiches. It’s one of those family operations run by an Asian-American clan who have a stronger work ethic than any white Protestant I’ve ever known. They make a mean turkey sandwich on a croissant whose selling price can’t be beat. It’s a busy day, two people waiting at the register for their…

The Expendables

The movie ended. We were speechless for several minutes. “That was some messed up shit,” Dennis said. “That part with the shotgun?” I ejected the DVD and slipped it into the protective sleeve. Back to Netflix for you, you beastly little film! “Oh, no. That was killer. I’m talking about the whole thing with the woman. He came all the way back, damn near…

Wonder Boys

(I originally wrote this review in 1995, long before there was a movie and the book became a bestseller. Back then I had created the first website for Chabon’s work, an archive of which can be found here.) A young man stands in the darkened back yard, holding a small silver pistol to his temple. An older man watches from the deck of the…

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Three weeks into production, they let you know they need a rewrite. All the scenes in the last two weeks of filming need to be redone. The actress broke her nose and had to have surgery. “You can’t see the work so there’s no need to re-shoot,” the associate producer informs you. “But you can hear it. Her voice is different.” You’re about to…

How to Eat a Banana

I’m a Hollywood monkey, so my favorite meetings are the ones with fruit. This is also why I like visiting the set: Craft Services usually has fruit, and there’s often a lot of it, because everyone else is eating donuts or chips. Inappropriate starches are not my thing, but bananas, as you know, are a monkey’s best friend. When they called the meeting, I…

Day of the Goon

It’s a meeting. Two producers are already in the room, each of them with a manila folder of notes open on the conference table. The assistant holds the door for me. She closes the door behind me as I enter. One of the producers stands and introduces himself as Ken. He introduces the other producer as Kyle. Kyle does not stand or greet me.…

Wag the Dog

Wag the Dog is a brilliantly conceived and executed satire of the relationship between media and politics. The film skewers the “politics as spectacle” that has come to dominate national politics. Conrad Brean doesn’t simply manipulate the truth – he manipulates reality itself. Though he does not create an actual war in Albania, it is easy to see that his skills could be used…

Primary Colors and the 1992 Clinton Campaign

The opening sequence of Primary Colors telegraphs the central theme and concern of the film: character. Democratic Presidential candidate Jack Stanton moves slowly through a crowd, shaking hands with the people. In a medium shot that isolates his body and keeps his head and shoulders out of frame, Stanton goes through a variety of handshakes as he stops to meet each individual. One of…

Politics as Spectacle: Cinematic Campaigns and Political Message

Lurking in the shadows throughout America are citizens who voted for Ralph Nader in 2000. I’m one of those people, proud to have voted for Nader (with the rationalization that I lived in a “safe state” – Washington – where Al Gore won by a substantial margin).[1] Many other Nader sympathizers resist answering the question, relying on that hoary old American notion that your…